Nanjing Chemical Material Corp.
Polyols are primarily derived from renewable resources such as vegetable oils (e.g., soybean oil, castor oil, palm oil), sugars, and other biomass. These raw materials are transformed into polyols through chemical or biochemical methods.
Through an epoxidation reaction, unsaturated double bonds in vegetable oils are converted to epoxy groups, and then hydroxyl groups are introduced via a ring-opening reaction. For instance, polyols prepared from microalgae oil through the epoxidation-ring opening method have an iodine value reduced to 0.62 g/100 g and a hydroxyl value of 150.35 mg/g, with raw material conversion and target product selectivity of 99.30% and 86.74%, respectively.
Through hydroformylation and hydrogenation reactions, unsaturated double bonds in vegetable oils are transformed into hydroxyl groups. For example, polyols prepared from microalgae oil through the hydroformylation-hydrogenation method have an iodine value reduced to 2.12 g/100 g and a hydroxyl value of 166.29 mg/g, with raw material conversion and target product selectivity of 97.60% and 95.83%, respectively.
Through a liquefaction reaction, raw materials such as lignin, sugar alcohols, and polyols are converted into bio-based polyols. For instance, the liquefaction reaction of lignin, sugar alcohol, and polyol mixed with concentrated acid yields bio-based polyols with a hydroxyl value of 5.0-15.0 mmol/g, an acid value of 0.5-2.0 mmol/g, and a viscosity of 0.3-40.52 Pa·s at 30°C.
Polyol chemicals are widely used in the preparation of polyurethane materials, featuring environmentally friendly and high-performance characteristics.
Polyols can react with isocyanates (such as TDI, HDI, MDI) to prepare high-solid or solvent-free polyurethane foams for use in furniture, car seats, mattresses, and other fields.
Polyols in coatings and adhesives provide an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based polyols while meeting high-performance requirements.
Polyols are used to manufacture polyurethane elastomers, which have good wear resistance and elasticity, suitable for shoe soles, conveyor belts, etc.
By chemically modifying renewable resources, polyols not only reduce dependency on petroleum resources but also offer environmental and high-performance advantages. Their diverse production technologies and wide application fields make them an important direction for the future development of chemical materials.
